One thing you can always count on when the holidays approach is the influx of invitations, Evites and Facebook event posts for holiday parties. It may be a casual cocktail event, a dirty Santa or (my personal favorite) the tacky Christmas sweater party!

They are all a time for friends and family to get together and enjoy the company of others as we celebrate the holiday season. A big pot of mulled apple cider and a small bonfire in the backyard to make s’mores are the memories I have of winter gatherings. Although, as a result of the warm weather we’ve been experiencing, maybe a backyard BBQ might be a good decision…

More often than not, my friends always ask me to bring something for everyone to eat. My go-to recipe for these holiday potlucks is without a doubt deviled eggs. They are pretty affordable to make, and with a couple of unique ingredients, you can really elevate the humble cocktail party food to something everyone will be talking about.

I’ve been making these smoked salmon deviled eggs for a few years now and they are truly fantastic and unbelievably easy to make. The yolks of hard-boiled eggs are mixed with sour cream and mayonnaise, diced smoked salmon, lemon zest, capers and herbs. The lemon and capers provide great acidity to cut through the richness of the yolks, while the smoked salmon and paprika provide a great smoky dimension to the dish.

Not a fan of smoked salmon? Feel free to substitute ingredients! Smoked trout works in a pinch, as does crispy bacon or country ham. Have fun with it! At the end of the day, you want to bring an appetizer where people can hold it in one hand, and have a cocktail in the other. For that, nothing is better than the humble, yet delicious, deviled egg.

1. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by about an inch. Bring water to a boil and then cover the pot, shut off the heat and let sit for

15 minutes. Drain the eggs and run cold water over them until they are cool to the touch. Crack the shells and peel so you have

6 whole hard-boiled eggs. Cut the eggs in half and scoop out the yolks carefully.

2. Put the yolks in a bowl and mash them with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, smoked salmon, green onions, capers, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice. Combine everything and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Either pipe or spoon the egg yolk mixture back into the egg white halves. Garnish with paprika and some extra sliced green onions or fresh herbs.